Structure. Classics. Concepts. Newer themes. The civic decline thesis. I. Theoretical overview: Modes of Political Participation.

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1 Structure Modes of Political Participation I. Theoretical overview: Civic decline or evolution in political activism? II. Evidence III. 1. Trends in party membership & civic activism 2. Rise of protest and cause-oriented politics 3. Generational patterns of activism Conclusions Causes & consequences of trends? Concepts Research on political activism compares the ways that citizens participate, the processes that lead them to do so, and the consequences of these acts. Readings: Dalton Ch 3 Norris Political activism online chapter Classics Gabriel A. Almond and Sidney Verba s The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes and Democracy in Five Nations (1963), Sidney Verba and Norman Nie s Participation in America (1972), Sidney Verba, Norman H. Nie, and Jae-on Kim s Participation and Political Equality: A Seven-Nation Comparison (1978), and Samuel Barnes and Max Kaase s Political Action: Mass Participation in Five Western Democracies (1979). Democratic Phoenix (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Newer themes Growing recognition of the importance of the institutional context of formal rules & multilevel analysis eg for electoral turnout; Widespread erosion of party membership in established democracies; Revived interest in voluntary associations and social trust spurred by theories of social capital; and The expansion of diverse forms of cause-oriented forms of activism, including the spread of demonstrations and protests, consumer politics, professional interest groups, and more diffuse new social movements and transnational advocacy networks. The civic decline thesis Half-empty ballot box? (Wattenberg) Desertion of party members? (Dalton, Mair) Partisan dealignment? Partisan dealignment? Hemorrhaging union rolls? Emptying church pews? Anemic voluntary organizations? (Putnam) Rising political cynicism? (Nye et al) Democratic Phoenix 1

2 Model of change If participation is changing Figure 1: Typology of the evolution of political action AGENCIES Traditional voluntary associations, including churches, unions and political parties New social movements and advocacy networks, including environmental and humanitarian Citizen-oriented repertoires, including voting, party work and contact activity Older generation REPERTOIRES Cause-oriented repertoires, including consumer politics, demonstrations and petitions Younger generation Causes? Long-term processes of societal modernization? Growing educational & civic skills Decline of deferential loyalty lt to hierarchical institutions Gradual bottom up generational shift in critical citizens Result of changing institutions of representative democracy? Top down explanations Globalization, decentralization & role of nation state Growth of cross-cutting issues not accommodated by parties Rational response to context of choices and channels of influence organizations If participation is changing Consequences? 1. Social inequality?» Greater civic skills, more demanding acts?» Who participates by class, income, education, gender, ethnicity 2. Quality of deliberative democracy» F-to-f interaction, on-going co-operation, social trust?» Rise of more demanding citizens? 3. For governance?» Stability and violence?» Fragmentation of policy process? Evidence: civic activism US Turnout Vote % VAP % US Turnout US Turnout: 59.5% in 00, 63.8% in 04 (Vote/VAP) Source: US Census Bureau US Turnout (Presidential Vote/VAP) US Voter Turnout US Turnout (Presidential Vote/VAP) % Source: U.S.Census Bureau

3 Net density Net density Net density Trends official party members Table 6.1 Phoenix Party membership France Italy US Norway Czech Rep Finland Netherlands Austria Switzerland Sweden Denmark Ireland Belgium Germany Hungary Portugal Slovakia Greece Spain ALL ABOVE Party membership as a % of the electorate, late-1990s Change in Numbers Change in Numbers % Change (i) as Percentage of of Members Original Membership ,122, ,091, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Decline in many Western nations Broader erosion of partisanship Yet substantial cross-national variations Does erosion of membership matter? For party in government? For party finance and staff? For party or campaign activism? 25 Campaign Activism, US Trends in Gross Union Density Source: Bernhard Ebbinghaus and Jelle Visser. 00. Trade Unions in Western Europe since London: Macmillan. CD-Rom. Note: Net density I (Total union membership as a share of the gainfully employed wage and salary earners.) 80 Austria Belgium Denmark Finland R-Square = 0.43 R-Square = R-Square = R-Square = 0.31 France Germany Italy Neth R-Square = 0.13 R-Square = 0.41 R-Square = R-Square = 0.72 Norway Switz UK R-Square = Year R-Square = Year R-Square = Year Meeting Party Work Button Money U n io n D e n s ity, R o m ania Luxem b o urg B e lg iu m A ustria C zech R ep ub lic Ireland B r a z il C anad a M exico It a ly Egypt G erm any A ustralia T aiw an Po land Esto nia U n it e d K in g d o m G hana M aurit ius A rg entina G uyana N icarag ua N ew Z ealand Israel P h ilip p ines N am ib ia T u r k e y Seneg al N etherland s So uth A frica S w itzerland Sw aziland Po rtug al Jap an T anzania D o m inican R ep ub lic N ig e r ia C a p e V e r d e Kenya B o liv ia C h ile G r e e c e V enezuela C a m e r o o n Panam a C anal Z o ne Z im b a b w e M a li S ing ap o re C o s t a R ic a C o t e D 'Iv o ir e U nited States Z a m b ia U r u g u a y B o tsw ana Sp ain Ecuador T u n is ia Parag uay K o r e a, R e p u b lic O f Peru El Salvado r Eritrea C o lo m b ia F rance Pakistan In d ia M o ro cco Ho nd uras G uatem ala B ang lad esh E t h io p ia U g and a T hailand M auritania In d o n e s ia G auinea b o n M C hina C y p r u s Hung ary Slovakia N o r w a y B u lg a r ia F inland a lt a Union Density: Table 9.1 S w ed en A zerb aijan R u s s ia n F e d e r a t io n Ic e la n d D enm ark B e la r u s Interpretation No simple decline in union membership across Western Europe Substantial cross-national variations worldwide Substantial cross national variations worldwide Institutional explanations not secular trends 3

4 church church church church Secularization Trends % Church attendance Eurobarometer Interpretation? Belgium Den France GB Germany Greece Ire Italy Evidence of secularization in W.Europe Development is linked to secularization Political implications? Lux Neth NI Portugal Spain year Experience of Political Activism Source: WVS mid-1990s Rise of Protest Politics % Have done in 8 postindustrial societies: WVS % Have done All Discuss politics 7 Voting turnout 64.5 Civic activism 62.4 Signed a petition * 28.5 Attended demonstrations* 15.7 Joined in boycott * 8.9 Active union member 5.4 Joined unofficial strike * 5.0 Active party member 4.6 Mid-1970s 1980s 1990 mid-1990s Signed petition Demonstrated Consumer Boycott Unofficial Strike Occupied buildings Occupied buildings * 1.6 Source: World Values Surveys Protest & democracy Protest & econ development 4

5 Citizen-orientedact Citizen-oriente edact Citizen-orientedact Citizen-orientedact Age differences? Generational shifts? Age differences? If so three possible causes: Generational effects, Period effects, and Lifecycle effects. European Social Survey European nations (22) Type of acts Age profile of activists Citizen-oriented repertoires Voted Contacted a politician or official Donated money to political organization Party member Worked for a political party Cause-oriented repertoires Bought products for political reasons Signed a petition Boycotted certain products Lawfully demonstrated Took part in illegal protest All Younger Middle- Older Age Gap (i) Aged (ii) (iii) (i-iii) Citizen-oriented repertoires Voted Contacted a politician or official Donated money to political organization Party member Worked for a political party Cause-oriented repertoires Bought products for political reasons Signed a petition Boycotted certain products Lawfully demonstrated Took part in illegal protest Citizen-oriented acts Citizen-oriented acts by cohort Czech Republic Finland Greece Hungary Mean Citizen-oriented activism scale Major Region Nordic Europe Northern Europe Mediterranean Europe Postcommunist Europ Ireland Israel Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Cases weighted by DWEIGHT 5

6 Cause-oriented act Cause-orie ented act Cause-oriented act Cause-oriented act Mean age of activists Cause oriented acts Demonstrated Protested illegally Boycotted products Bought products Signed a petition ALL Respondents Contacted a politician Donated money Worked for party Voted Party member Note: Whether the respondent did these acts during the previous 12-months Source: The European Social Survey, Mean Cause-oriented activism scale Major Region.8.6 Nordic Europe.4 Northern Europe.2 Mediterranean Europe Postcommunist Europ Cases weighted by DWEIGHT Age of members Czech Republic Finland Greece Hungary Ireland Israel Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Cause- oriented acts by cohort Sport Educational ALL Respondents Union Environmental Hobby Professional Humanitarian Consumer Church Other Party Social club Membership in associations Conclusions Mean Tot. members in volunta ary associations Major Region Nordic Europe Northern Europe.5 Mediterranean Europe Postcommunist Europ From the politics of loyalties to the politics of choice? Citizen oriented action peak in middle age Cause-oriented acts most common among young people Associations: Mixed pattern Young people not more engaged in new social movements Cases weighted by DWEIGHT 6